Text Structure

Text
Structure
Patterns of Organization
What is Text Structure?
(How is it related to AUTHOR’S PURPOSE?)
How information in a passage is organized
We will study five common patterns:
o Chronological
Cause and Effect
Compare and Contrast
Problem and Solution
Sequence / Process
Chronological
Information is organized in order of time.
Chrono = time
Logic = order
Example
Jack and Jill ran
up the hill to fetch
a pail of water.
Jack fell down
and broke his
crown.
Jill came
tumbling
after.
ALL stories are told chronologically.
Cause and Effect
An action and its results are explained.
Cause
Students did not learn
the material.
Effect
They performed
poorly on the test.
•Don’t confuse with chronological.
•Won’t have a beginning, middle, and end.
•Time won’t progress much.
Compare and Contrast
Tells how two things are similar and different.
Apples & Oranges
Alike
1. Both are fruits.
2. Both have skin.
Different
1. People don’t eat
orange skins.
2. Oranges have
more juice.
Problem and Solution
A problem and answer are suggested.
Problem
Solution
Property is being
spray painted.
Require a license
to buy spray paint.
•Don’t confuse with cause and effect.
•It is presented as a PROBLEM.
Sequence / Process Writing
Information is listed step-by-step.
Explains how to do it or how it happens.
Don’t confuse with
chronological!
4. Flip omelet.
3. Cook on
one side.
2. Add cheese.
1. Crack a
few eggs.
Does not occur at
a specific time.
1. Read the paragraph.
2. Identify the text structure.
3. Complete the graphic organizer.
Author’s Purpose
Think about it……….
How does the author’s purpose influence their choice of
text structure?
Spatial / Descriptive Writing
Racial is to race as spatial is to space.
Describes something in order of space.
Describes how something looks.
TIME DOESN’T PASS in these passages.
Two windows on
the west Wall
A television across
from the bed.
My bedroom
Tips to Identify
1.
Ask, “what is the author doing in this
paragraph?” Put it in your own words.
2.
Have a hunch? Use the graphic organizer to see if the
info fits.
3.
Look for signal words.
Practice
1.
Read each passage.
2.
Determine how the text is organized: cause and effect,
compare and contrast, chronological order, sequence
/ process writing, problem and solution, or spatial /
descriptive.
3.
Write your answer.
Popular Sports
Football and baseball are two of the most popular
sports in the country. They have many things in
common. For one, they are both team sports, and they
both require players to advance to an end or
“home” point on the playing field. However,
football requires players to carry the ball to the end
zone, whereas in baseball, it is the defending team that
controls the ball while it is in play.
The Magic Blanket
One day while walking home from school, he found a magic
blanket. When he covered himself with it, he turned invisible. At
first he used his power to play all kinds of tricks on people. He’d
turn invisible and hide things, or move a cup when someone was
pouring juice to make a mess. He had a lot of fun. But then one
day, he found that he couldn’t take the blanket off. He was just
stuck invisible. He quit playing tricks on people, hoping that he’d
be able to take the blanket off and rejoin society, but it didn’t
work. He is still invisible somewhere right now, and he is very
lonely.
Studying for a Test
Believe it or not, as important as it is, many students do
not know how to study for a test. Well, studying for a test is
easy. The first thing that you must do is take out your notes.
Open your notes up to the section that you are supposed to
review. Read what you wrote in your notebook. When you
are done, close your notebook and see if you remember the
ideas that you were studying. Still don’t remember? Open
your notebook back up a try again.
Low Test Scores
Many students have been getting low scores on tests and this
is upsetting to parents, teachers, and students. Low test scores
show that teachers aren’t teaching effectively or that students
aren’t learning. Either way it’s an issue with which we are
concerned. I propose the following: any teacher who is giving a
test should open up their classroom for study groups the night
and morning before the test. Maybe by giving students extra
opportunities to study, we can improve students’ test scores.
Peanut Butter and Jelly
After a long day at school, I came home and
watched “Cops,” my favorite show. During the
commercial breaks, I got up and made a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich. I took the bread out of the cabinet,
spread the jelly and peanut butter on the bread, and
stuck the two pieces together. I enjoyed that sandwich
as I watched the rest of “Cops.”
The Gym Room
The gym room at the high school down the street from me is
huge. Along the North and South walls are bleachers that fold up
during gym. Coach pulls the bleachers out for big games. At the
end of the East and West walls are basketball hoops. The ceilings
are very high and at the top of the gym are many large windows.
The windows go all the way around the gym. There are also ropes
that are either tucked away or hang from the ceilings in the middle
of the gym. The ropes intimidate some students. That gym is my
favorite place.
Eligibility
Being involved in after school sports and clubs is not a right. It
is a privilege. Therefore, students have to meet eligibility
requirements. If students have any “D”s or “F”s, they are not
allowed to play. Also, if students have behavior issues in class, they
cannot be on the team or in the club. Lastly, students need to keep
good attendance. If students miss school, they most certainly
cannot come to practice. Being on a team is a lot of responsibility.
If students are not proving to be responsible, they will not be
permitted to be in clubs or teams.
Answers
1.
Compare and contrast
2.
Chronological
3.
Sequence or process writing
4.
Problem and solution
5.
Chronological
6.
Spatial / descriptive writing
7.
Cause and effect